May 14, 2011

Huckabee bails; Iowa Caucuses 2012

The Rev. Mr. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas -- preacher, ex-governor, and Fox teevee star -- says he could probably win the GOP nomination but won't run anyway. His heart says "no," and it is certainly un-Christian of me to suspect that his personal accountant endorsed the decision.

I won't miss him, despite his undeniable personal affability. I find it harmless enough that Arkansas Baptist preachers undertake to give us final, definitive, and absolute truth about God and His universe. It is only when they claim they're smart enough  to administer the American civil system -- in part because they get a daily briefing from God --  that I draw the line.

This reduces to 17 the number of competing geniuses on the TMR broad-form list of caucus pests, which has been updated to reflect Huckabee's prayerful decision to keep getting richer on commercial teevee.

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Huckabee won the 2008 caucuses with about 34 per cent of the vote. You will see unbelievable huffing and puffing to attract these Iowa "values" voters. Our status as a leading wind-energy producer is safe for at least eight more months.

The other castle doctrine

The Indiana Supreme Court says it's just being hip in wiping out another snippet of the Constitution of the United States. The Hoosier Black Robes shat on several centuries of common law in ruling that cops can kick down your door and wave guns at your wife and kids -- and you have no right to resist. Search warrant? Who needs that kind of niggling paper work?


The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail -- its roof may shake -- the wind may blow through it -- the storm may enter -- the rain may enter -- but the King of England cannot enter! -- all his forces dare not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement!


Or is it declasse to remember what some of those old dead white guys said?


If anyone is collecting money to make air space over the Indiana Supreme Court a no-fly zone, put me down for a hundred bucks.


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H/T Roberta

Dreamland

I should not have stolen the lever-action Winchester hidden under the pair of shorts on the bar stool while I was looking for my trench coat. I was pleased when the girl driving my getaway car flashed a CIA driver's license at the cop who chased us down. I was sad when I lost the rifle at a house party I threw for people I haven't seen since grade school, especially since it had an interesting  action built around a double-barrel S/W Model 25.

Your lesson here is that even a half-rack of the ribs at McKeen's Pub is too much if you intend to retire early.
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May 11, 2011

Mr. Goodwretch Works Here

Further exciting adventures in automotive technology.

1. The battery charger now charges batteries in the same sense that Harry Reid thinks, that is, slowly and well below advertised specifications. I'm on my way to the city where I hope to find a heavy DPCO switch which might bring it back.

2. The truck stasis is due to a probably bad battery born in 2002 or 03  and a definitely bad alternator.  I'll  pick those up too and try not to dwell on the cost measured as a hefty fraction of another 1911.

I offer a word of thanks to the Sperry folks for making their Snap 6 ammeter (Model OHM-525).  A handy way of discovering that your alternator is gasping out only seven amps at speed is a tool to be cherished, however seldom used.